Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-10-22
Improve the Soil.

The Nelc England Farmer strong
ly recommends composing coarse
manure by blowing under in the fall
and working the ground we'll
Where dairying has been intro
tuced in the West, it mas bean found
y great benefit to the soil wherever q
speciality has been made of butter,
cheese or beef, there lands are the
most productive, because of the
large amounts of manure made on
them.
Barnyard manure not only con
tains all Of the mineral ingredients
necessary to plant-growth, together
with nitrogen, but it contains what
no commercial fertilizer Goes,a large
amount of organic detritns, which
tends TO increase the hunus matter
of the soil.
The Department of Agriculture
of Wisconsin has arranged for near.
" one hundred farmers institutes to
be held in the different counties of
that state, during tbs winter. a
circular from the department Cabs
attention to the profitable results
known to have followed many of the
Institutes held last water.
lis not consistent with good farm
management, nor wah sound Ansi
ness principles, to eSpend moneJ for
the commercial fertilizers, the equiv
alent OF which is Annually proanced
by the sarm, but Is allowed to go
to waste for want of the proper APP
planes and treatment. 1t is only
the demand for plant food Ia excess
of that which the farm produces,
which should be applied by CONNER
cial fertilizers.
Many Westesn farmers were slow
to comprehend the value Of manure
upon their fsrms, relying upon the
inexhaustible fertility of the soil, but
gradually they are learning the les
A recent writer says that no one can
now doubt that fertilizers are as
necessary TO land in the West as in
other portions Of the world, shere-
fore it is safe to predict that in the
near future all the manure made on
the farm will not only be utilized
but will be considered the most val
liable of all farm products, as it un-
doubtedly is.
The two kinds of animal excre.
ments should be kept together, for
experiments have established the
fact that all of the essential ingredi-
ents of plant,food are OF equal value
to the plant. If one of these essen
tial ingredients is wanting in the
soil, plants will not grow, although
all of the Others are present In great
abundance. Hence, it is evident
that if the liquid excrements are al
lowed to 60 to waste in the stable,
and by piling the manure upon the
outside, exposed to the weather, so
that the soluble parts are leached
and lost, the remainder will be a
one-sided fertilizer deprived Of pot
ash,-one of the essential constitu
ents of plant food.
Nature is liberal in he- ways and
means if due regard is paid to her
methods, but no farmer ought to ex.
pect that she will successfully per
form her work if he acts in direct
violation of her methods. There is
little question but that if moving
land, from which a crop has been cut
early, is left undisturbed, either by
after moving or early or late feed
ing, allowing the growth TO warm
the ground in winter, and fertilize it
by its decay, it will maintain nor
NAL condition for many years. But
admitting even that attention is nec-
essary, very moderate topdressing
Of manure or ashes once in a few
years is all that is necessary for the
maintenance of moving fields.